


A Vacation for Only Two Hours

by atelierjoh



Category: Tales of Zestiria
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-06
Updated: 2017-06-06
Packaged: 2018-11-09 21:09:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,093
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11112924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/atelierjoh/pseuds/atelierjoh
Summary: A thousand years after the events of Tales of Zestiria.





	A Vacation for Only Two Hours

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: I don’t own Tales of Zestiria. Well, I have a copy of the game, but I don’t own the rights. There shouldn’t be any Tales of Berseria spoilers contained, but spoilers for Tales of Zestiria will be present. Dedicated to K’Arthur.

Being an apprentice Oracle wasn’t easy.

There may have been tougher jobs out there, so he didn’t really have the right to complain, but Yaevar still grumbled as his sore leg muscles cried out for any kind of relief as he made his way to the summit of the mountain overlooking Ladylake. From what he was told, even at the peak of the Age of Chaos, it was beautiful – now, a thousand years after the end of that era, it could only be described as even more radiant. Hyland’s capital was always in a somewhat precarious position given being so close to the borders with the surrounding territories, but the pristine lake made an excellent moat that glistened under the midday sun.

Yaevar’s ails seemed to melt away as he stood for a moment, taking in the sight once more.

His master always spoke highly or Hyland’s pride and joy, despite the stance of impartiality that Oracles always held. It made him wonder if perhaps she had some history with the city of Ladylake? The Oracle never spoke of herself or her past, other than occasionally in riddles. Maybe it had something to do with an oath. Maybe it was just for her amusement. Whatever the case, asking her directly would yield no results other than frustration, which he already had more than enough of.

“Uno told me that he felt your presence closing in on his domain,” a voice made Yaevar turn. It was the fabled Lady of the Lake herself, the legendary Prime Lord Lailah. Greeting him with a guileless smile, Lailah bowed before continuing. “It’s been a while since you’ve come to these parts. I want to say that it’s been about three years?”

“Actually, more like five.” Yaevar bowed in turn. It made sense since seraphim usually didn’t have a good sense of time, not like humans. That, and she was old. Not that he would ever say that out aloud to her face. “The last time I saw you was when I was first undergoing training as an Oracle.”

“I think it’s a testament to your growth,” Lailah turned to look at Ladylake as well. “Back then, you had but an inkling of resonance, and now after such a short time you can now interact with the seraphim as if you were one of us. It goes to show that it doesn’t matter what gifts you were born with. Nothing real is achieved until you put in enough effort.”

Yaevar held his tongue. The training was grueling and if he could do it all over again, he’d probably just have moved on with his life instead of chasing after that Oracle so many years ago. It was too late to do anything about it now. Instead, he tried what Lailah tried doing when they first met and he asked about her journeys prior; he changed the subject. “Speaking of resonance, you’re back at the capital… is your current journey over?”

Lailah nodded. “She was a fine Shepherd, and her travels across Glenwood opened her eyes to everything the world had to offer. Now she sits atop the throne of Hyland, ruling her subjects with a just hand. I’m proud of each and every Shepherd I’ve made a pact with, and she’s no exception.”

“Still, it’s not every day you hear about a Shepherd becoming Queen,” Yaevar responded. “Arturia Dragonia… she’s certainly living a faerie tale life.”

“As of right now, it’s not a legend. It’s reality.” Lailah stated. “Legends of times long past have a sort of ethereal quality to them, right? Her story hasn’t ended. Many stories haven’t ended. I’m certain that the Oracle is preparing you so that once her story ends, you can carry on the Oracle legacy.”

Yaevar didn’t know what to say to that. As much as he hated to admit it, he grew fond of the Oracle herself over the past few years. More than her kindness, more than her teachings, more than the prestige of being an Oracle or her student… she was like a sister, in some ways. Sure, it came with all the annoyances that came along with it, but in the end, Yaevar didn’t want to think that their time together would come to an eventual end.

Good things shouldn’t come to an end, after all.

“Sometimes, I still think back to my first journey,” Lailah continued, sensing Yaevar’s discomfort. “I don’t think I could even tell you so many of the small details… or the names of some of my companions. Back then, I thought I’d never forget anything about that time. Later on, when I realized I had a difficult time even remembering their faces, I began to blame myself, thinking I was heartless. However, one of my current companions jabbed me in the side and told me that it was part of moving on. No one journey defines your entire existence, especially for those of us who are immortal. Even if I forget their names and faces, they are still part of me until the day I pass, just like I am part of every single person who I’ve come across. Even if your time with the Oracle may come to an end at some point, take comfort in the fact that you had your time together, and because of that, she will live on. You’re the proof she was alive. You are her living legacy.”

After a moment, Yaevar lifted an eyebrow. “You have friends who jab you? What kind of company do you keep, anyway?”

Lailah couldn’t help but laugh.

“Anyway, the Oracle asked me to deliver this to you,” Yaevar handed Lailah a missive.

“You like changing the subject a lot,” Lailah commented as she used an arte to open the letter. It was sealed with a particular mana signature she was familiar with, so she knew the Oracle meant business. After a moment of reading, Lailah’s expression brightened for a bit. “Yes, I can see why she wanted this hand delivered as opposed to being delivered by sylphjay.”

“Letters just seem so old fashioned,” Yaevar sighed. “You have your communication artes, so why not use those?”

“It’s old fashioned because we’re old fashioned,” Lailah smiled in response. She conjured parchment and a pen to write a quick letter herself and sealed it once more, before politely handing it back to Yaevar as her pen dissipated into mana. “I don’t suppose you could deliver this to the city of Caelia for me?”

“You know the Oracle says that any orders from her friends are like orders from her,” Yaevar shrugged as he took the letter.

“It’s not an order, it’s a request,” Lailah shook her head. “There is no pact between us – just friendship. Perhaps one day we can go on a journey together.”

“Why not now?” Yaevar asked.

Lailah shook her head once more. “My vessel is the city of Ladylake itself. I cannot leave much further than here unless I sever that connection. Besides that, I wish to stay here, protecting the city of Ladylake while Queen Arturia reigns. At least, that’s what I would like to do. Lord Uno may be Lord of the Land, but the city is my domain. I may pass it down to someone else in the future, but this city holds many dear memories for me. I don’t wish to leave them behind just yet.”

“I wonder what it’s like having such strong feelings for something… or someone.” Yaevar said aloud, more to himself than anything else. “All right, if you ask so nicely, I guess I can’t refuse.

“Thank you,” Lailah smiled. “Caelia city is to the south of here, atop of a mountain. You will find the guardian seraph of that city, Edna, there.”

-.-.-

More climbing. Did it never end? If these seraphim were so bloody powerful, couldn’t they form the land to their liking and be rid of inconveniences like climbing of all things? He supposed he could’ve just tethered with a wind seraph to enable somewhat quicker travel, but as an Oracle in Training, he couldn’t form a pact with any seraphim. The Oracle served as a medium between the people and the seraphim, without becoming directly entangled in either like the Shepherd’s duty was. A world where humans and seraphim could openly communicate and coexist together side by side – it still felt like a dream, but Yaever wanted to think that they were making strides every day.

Lost in his own thoughts, he didn’t realize when he reached the summit of the Rayfalke Spiritcrest, the home of the city of Caelia.

It was a settlement that grew to a full-sized city after the precious ores were found.

“I never thought that it would become like this.”

Yaevar turned around, but all he could see were citizens of the city bustling about their business,. He had never met Edna before, but since he could sense the seraphim, it shouldn’t have been too difficult to discern her presence.

“Over here, cake-brain.”

Blinking, Yaevar was surprised that the insult came from a rather mature woman, whose outfit seemed to be made up of random parts since her glove and boots didn’t go with the sophisticated dress and parasol she wore. “Are you Edna?” He asked, approaching her.

“That’s _Lady_ Edna to you,” she fake-scowled, pointing the tip of her parasol to the center of his chest.

“I’m just surprised, since I was told that you had the appearance of a little girl,” Yaevar shrugged. “Unless they think that this current form looks like a little girl, in which case then I’m _really_ confused.”

Unfurling her parasol and twirling it across her shoulder, Edna sat on a bench next to the monument that stood in the center of the settlement. “That was my form for a very long time.”

“Do seraphim age like humans?” Yaevar asked, tilting his head. “I mean, I know you guys are effectively immortal, but I was never told the specifics of it.”

“Sometimes. It differs between different seraphim.” Edna responded. “Just like how almost no two humans are the same, the same holds true for seraphim. Maybe I grew into my full power at an early age. Maybe time stopped for me after something traumatic happened. Maybe I just liked being a little girl to make people keep their guards down while I smack them with my parasol. Taking wild guesses is useless. The fact is, this is what I look like now. Deal with it.”

“Hey, I wasn’t complaining.” Yaevar shrugged, folding his hands behind his head and he took a look at the monument Edna was sitting beside. “Oh, right.” He took out the letter from Lailah and handed it to Edna. “I don’t know why you guys are using me instead of a sylphjay.”

Edna chuckled as she used an arte to open the letter. Skimming through it, there were so many topic changes that it was almost like she could hear Lailah’s voice - when she got to a particular section regarding an old traveling companion, Edna’s normally static expression showed a genuine hint of surprise. “I see,” she mused aloud. “Boy, go and take this.” After putting her own signature and note on the letter, it floated back into Yaevar’s hand.

“Is this some kind of hazing ritual?” Yaevar looked at the envelope in his hand, raising an eyebrow. “Don’t any of you think I have anything better to do with my time?”

“Nope.”

The quick response came without warning so much that it caught Yaevar off-guard, and with a sigh he absconded his control and turned around before starting to walk away.

“Aren’t you the least bit curious as to where the letter should go?” Edna asked flatly, more as a statement than an actual question.

“Fire and earth, I’m guessing the wind will lead me where I need to go next.” Yaevar shrugged, not pausing for a beat.

As his silhouette vanished from Edna’s line of sight as he left the city, she leaned against the monument that was serving as her vessel. “Hey, Eizen, it took a while to get used to the thought that these people here built a settlement around your grave, but… it’s not so bad, is it? For a long time I wanted to be selfish and keep this place just between the two of us. But seeing this city thrive like this in such a remote area… your domain isn’t so bad, you know?” Her fingers gingerly traced the outline of the coin embedded into the monument. “One day, I can move on. For now, I just want to stay here by your side a little while longer, watching over the people of this city.”

-.-.-

“Sometimes I think it’s a good thing these bloody seraphim can’t normally interact with us humans,” Yaevar grumbled as he made his way down the Rayfalke Spiritcrest. While he had a moderate amount of resonance to begin with, by becoming the Oracle’s apprentice he was able to share in her resonance and be able to interact with all kinds of seraphim he wasn’t able to perceive before. Some were tall, some were short, some had humanoid features, others had the forms of dogs and he was almost convinced that one tree he ran into was also a seraph. They were as varied as humans, though not nearly as numerous. Even more varied than the seraphim were the hellions, which made sense given that both humans and seraphim could become hellions. Pausing, Yaevar became lost in thought. This world they lived in, it was vast, expansive, and filled with so many stories to tell. It made him happy, being able to be able to witness all of it.

The Oracle often told him of how the land was before, permeated in malevolence to the point where it was suffocating to those who were sensitive to it.

Now, it was difficult to even tell there was ever such a thing as malevolence. Even so, however, Yaevar knew that if there was evil in the world, it had to lurk in the hearts of men.

It reminded him of a tale of a princess long ago who dreamed of a Hyland free of malevolence. It was one of the first stories that the Oracle recorded, and so every time she spoke of it to Yaevar he felt like he was right by that princess’ side, traveling alongside her on her journeys. He wondered if Queen Arturia was anything like that princess from so long ago.

Snapping out of his thoughts, he looked around and saw that he didn’t recognize where he was.

“Well, what do we have here?”

Turning around, Yaevar couldn’t tell where the voice was coming from. However, the landscape suddenly turned dark, as if a purple haze had settled to tightly hug the continent and asphyxiate it, much like how a serpent would coil around its prey. He had never seen anything like this before. Setting down his pack for ease of movement, Yaevar straightened out his sleeves, allowing two bars to slide neatly into his hands before closing his fists, now armed and ready.

“My, my, how scary,” a purple-haired young woman emerged from thin air, dressed in what appeared to be an outfit that was just asking for a wardrobe malfunction to occur. “Then again, considering that you’ll only be the second Oracle in history makes it so that you can forget whatever path ahead of you that you please.” While her lips formed a smile, what Yaever felt from her was far from happiness. “You can put those away. I’m not here to fight you.”

“It doesn’t seem like you want to make friends, either.” Yaevar refused to let down his guard. “You’re one of the seraphim, aren’t you? What the honk is up with this domain?”

She could only laugh in response.

If this domain was anything, Yaevar thought it could only be pure malevolence.

“Your expressions are so easy to read,” the laughter stopped as her expression turned dour. “This isn’t malevolence. If it were, none of my powers would work.” As if to illustrate her point, she turned around only to disappear in a shadow, and five copies of her emerged all at once around Yaevar. “As a seraph, my abilities are easily affected by malevolence in my vicinity. Ever since _that_ happened about a thousand years ago, malevolence has been slowly ebbing out of the very pores of the land. All I’m doing is giving you a taste of what it was like back then, when hellions freely roamed the land.” Her voices all spoke in unison as a bead of sweat trickled down the side of Yaevar’s face.

“And what’s the point?” Yaevar gritted his teeth. The doubles of the seraph girl didn’t seem hostile or make any sudden movements, but he still couldn’t relax in their presence. “I’m on a very important mission here. If you stand in my way-“

“Children these days.” A sixth form turned into visibility, upside down as she was face to face with the young Oracle apprentice as she interrupted him. “One, I’m offering to help you find your next target. That wind seraph is known for never being able to be tied down to any particular place, after all. Trying to chain the wind will only lead to frustration, don’t you think?”

“Something tells me you want something in exchange.”

“And do you always believe what ‘ _something_ ’ tells you?” She chuckled once more, before all but one of her bodies disappeared, a single voice causing Yaevar to turn around to find her back to him. “The sooner you get to your goal, the sooner I can see the end of a tale a thousand years in the making.”

“Ugh, it’s worse than one of those long-running drama presentations,” Yaevar muttered under his breath. “What’s the second thing?”

“As a relatively young human, you’ve never seen the land permeated by malevolence before.” The seraph mused aloud. “As someone who’s supposed to be a living archive of history, don’t you think that’s a shame?”

“You’re thinking of the Storyteller of Time,” Yaevar took a step away, only to stop himself as he bumped into something. Without turning around, he already knew it was another illusion. “There hasn’t been a Maevyn for a millennium. As an Oracle, my job is to serve as a mouthpiece between humanity and seraphim, but you already knew that.”

“How do you expect to serve as a mouthpiece when you don’t know where both sides come from?” Her playful tone turned to one of underlying firmness. “You’re still a human. How can you claim to serve as a bridge when you don’t know the first thing about seraphim, as well as the fact that countless Shepherds with far more resonance than you’ve got tried and failed?”

“The seraphim are long-lived, unlike humans. That by itself creates an obstacle, if resonance wasn’t already one.” Yaevar responded, though a pit was already fully formed in his stomach. “I don’t think I have nearly as much pretention as you’re exuding now.”

“Even if the races hadn’t divided us, we are all still separate individuals with ideologies that are varied as much as the brightness between the countless stars in the sky,” she sighed. “You don’t need to be so tense. Even if I wanted to kill you, I wouldn’t be able to. A Shepherd once spared my life, so there’s no point in meaningless killing between our kinds.”

“I have a feeling you’re trying to lead me to a point, but if you could do us both a favor and just spit it out, I think it would save time for both of us.”

“Symonne, that’s enough.”

A deep, rather masculine voice pierced through the illusion and with those words, it seemed that the purple haze receded back into the girl’s fingertips and the base of the Rayfalke Spiritcrest was once again visible. “You always did stick your nose where it didn’t belong, Zaveid.”

“It’s not my fault that your domain sticks out like a sore thumb,” the tanned, shirtless seraph walked in, positioning himself between Symonne and Yaevar. “You all right, kid?”

“I am _so_ glad I know better than to think all seraphim are condescending, because if you two were the only ones I’ve met, that’s the conclusion I would have come to.” Yaevar sighed, still unsure or whether or not he should put his weapons away.

“It’s just as well,” Symonne shook her head, and turned as she began walking away. “This child didn’t get what I was trying to show him, anyway.” With that last word, she walked past a boulder and disappeared.

“Is she always this friendly?” Yaevar finally let himself breathe normally as he holstered his weapons away. “Wait, before I forget, this is for you.” Yaevar held out the letter from Edna. “Please tell me you’re the last one.”

Unceremoniously, Zaveid took the envelope and ripped it open without using any artes. For some reason, Yaevar was having a tough time being surprised at this.

“Wait, you’re not tethered to a particular place?” Yaevar asked, just realizing they weren’t realty near any settlements. It was then that he noticed a traveling caravan down a ways.

“I watch over the Sylph Gliders,” Zaveid absentmindedly responded as his eyes went over the letter from Edna. “Traveling caravan of merchants, same old story. It’s not important.”

“What about Symonne?” Yaevar crossed his arms. “Does she usually try to make friends in such an obnoxious manner?”

“We’re approaching the end of an age,” Zaveid stated, as he finished up reading the letter.

“Great,” Yaevar placed his hands on his hips as he looked at Zaveid. “How about you tell me where to find your water seraph friend so I can deliver your letter?”

“What, you think you know everything?” Zaveid snickered, putting the letter away. “Your job is done. Go home.”

Yaevar paused for a beat before responding. “Are you kidding me?”

“Nope.” The silver-haired man curtly replied, now making his way down the slope.

“Hey!” Yaevar gritted his teeth, and ran after Zaveid as he grabbed the seraph’s wrist to prevent him from going any further. “You’ve all been using me as some sort of errand boy and yeah, I complain a lot, but the job got done! I intend on seeing this through to the end, and while you don’t need to share the sordid gossip details with me, I deserve to know what’s going on!”

With a flick of his wrist, Zaveid got free of Yaevar’s grip and a smile widely formed across his face. “You’re a cheeky one, aren’t you?”

“Don’t be so condescending!” Yaevar continued. “I’m just a human. I don’t know what it’s like being a seraph, or a hellion, and I can’t even claim to speak for each and every human in the world since we’re all so different! Maybe the idea of an Oracle being a mouthpiece between humans and seraphim is a stupid idea, but it’s better than doing nothing at all and leaving everything to the Shepherds! We’ve become too reliant on putting the weight of the world on the shoulders of a select few instead of actually doing anything about it! Sure, I’ve never seen a Glenwood that was permeated to the core with malevolence, but I certainly want to do everything I can to make sure that this land I love stays this way!”

Zaveid laughed.

“What’s so damn funny?!”

“It just reminds me of what the first Oracle said nearly a thousand years ago,” Zaveid managed to calm himself down enough from his roar of laughter. “Man, she really knows how to pick them, doesn’t she? All right then.”

Calming down, Yaevar took a step back as he looked at Zaveid, awaiting his answer.

“I honestly don’t know where Mikleo is. Last I heard, he was on his way to explore the Palamedes Temple, but given how far away it is, I don’t know if he bothered considering it’s not even on the continent of Glenwood. Then again, he carries around his vessel, so I really don’t know. So don’t worry about finding him, all right? If you want to see the end of this, go to Glaivend Basin and look for a tunnel leading to the Elaine Ruins. Beyond the Elaine Ruins, you’ll find what you’re looking for.”

“I guess that’s the closest to a straight answer I’m going to get from anyone,” Yaevar sighed. “I don’t know if it’s because of an oath you guys took or what, but I suppose nobody ever promised that humans and seraphim would make life easier for each other.”

“It would be nice,” Zaveid concurred. “But the distances that separate us as separate beings will always be present, no matter how close we want to be. Maybe existing is butting heads with everything else in existence. Maybe absolutely harmony is an impossible dream. But regardless, we don’t have to make things worse on each other. To keep on trying is to keep on living.”

“That’s a load of hogwash coming from someone who’s being willfully obtrusive.” Yaevar sighed, turning away as he began walking down the mountain path.

“You sure chose yourself an interesting apprentice, Lady Oracle,” Zaveid chuckled to himself as he saw Yaevar’s back fading away into the distance. Looking up to the sky, then the summit of Rayfalke, he couldn’t help but smile. This place was home to so many memories. Edna seemed to be well, giving her blessing to the new settlement that took place around Eizen’s gravestone. Lailah was happy being the guardian seraph of Ladylake, watching over the castle-town that began their journeys together. Mikleo was out, fulfilling the dream he shared with Sorey by exploring the lands on the other sides of the vast oceans. And as for Zaveid, he had to live on, for Dezel and Eizen and all the other people who’ve helped him over his long tenure as a wild seraph who knew no rules. He was sure that by joining the Sylph Gliders, if Rose was reborn somewhere out there, he would be able to find her one day and let the others know that she was finally living the life of a normal girl.

And as for Symonne… that was her own way of officially greeting the next Oracle, showing him what he couldn’t see with his own eyes, wasn’t it? She was very bad at expressing her true feelings, it seemed. Some things never changed. That was fine by Zaveid. All that was left was passing the torch.

-.-.-

“I swear, whoever designed these ruins are terrible, bad people who were far worse than the misanthropists that peppered their presence throughout history!” Yaevar yelled at the top of his lungs as he made it up to… how far was he now? Seven floors? Nine? They all started looking the same, but at least hellions weren’t around. Whether it was due to a barrier or regular maintenance, Yaevar had no idea, but he wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Finally exiting the ruins, Yaevar looked around. Nothing looked familiar, and he didn’t believe he had ever stepped foot in this part of the continent before. The biggest thing that looked unfamiliar with a spiraling pillar of light in the center of a gigantic crater.

“Well, that’s new.”

Making his way down to the crater, it was fairly obvious that this pillar wasn’t made of malevolence. It looked and felt nothing like the illusion he was shown earlier – it felt serene, despite knowing that it would be dangerous to approach it very close. It was a bright white light spiraling from the sky, like a static lightning bolt that had a very important mission to fulfill. Despite feeling the immense power behind it, Yaevar couldn’t help but stare at it as he drew ever closer, feeling as though all of his worries were being melted away in a warm embrace.

“Even with all the powers afforded by an Oracle, I didn’t imagine that you’d make it here.”

Snapping out of his reverie, Yaevar noticed his master off to his side, sitting quietly on a boulder as her crystal clear eyes made contact with his. With regal beauty, she was dressed differently; rather than robes that appeared to come from a far-off land, she wore a knight’s uniform of the military of Hyland, though in the odd color of pink as opposed to the national color of blue. It was clear that she was no ordinary soldier, if she ever was one.

“What’s going on here?” Yaevar asked, approaching the Oracle. “What is that pillar of light? Why are you dressed like this? Why send me on an errand to deliver letters instead of a communication arte? Just… why and what is all of this?! And don’t you dare give me some cryptic answer!”

Her hands folded, she lowered her eyes as she contemplated telling her protégé everything. There was very little point in holding back anymore. Watching over the world that _he_ helped create for one thousand years, she almost gave up hope that this day would ever come. It was so close to making the dream of a Glenwood free of malevolence a reality, but at the same time, in the past thousand years she’s seen countless wars, squabbles, murders, things that she doubted any one person could handle in a single lifetime, much less a thousand years. But maybe this was a start; even if it was impossible to rid the entire world of all of its malevolence, she believed that by embracing everything as a balance and means to move forward, to grow together… none of it was meaningless. High goals were worthy of being striven for, even if impossible to achieve.

“Long ago, I took an oath.” She explained, her eyes drifting back to the ebbing pillar of light. As someone with such a low amount of resonance, there was no hope of becoming a Mayvin or a Shepherd. However, that one who began putting an end to the Age of Calamity was kind enough to take me under his wing and make me his Squire for a time, until our paths no longer intersected. He had many allies, but in the end he took it upon himself to go into a deep sleep to begin the process of purifying the land itself. By this time, his mortal body has likely wasted away, leaving only his soul. It could be that he’s reborn, and won’t recognize me. But…” Her voice trailed off.

“You want to see him again.” Yaevar concluded. However, he knew what that meant. “I… I’m not sure I’m ready to say good-bye.”

The Oracle shook her head. “I don’t think any of us are ever ready,” she responded after a pause. “I’ve waited for this day for a thousand years, and I still have butterflies in my stomach. So much has happened over the millennium that there were times I wondered if I’d be okay if this day never came. However, one day, I finally decided it was all right.” She looked into Yaevar’s eyes. “The day that I met you, I realized that the line of an Oracle is meant to be a legacy. I might not be able to pass on everything I’ve learned to you. But you have that drive - that inner passion – that is needed to go out and see the world for your own sake and know that the same thing seen through different eyes can have countless different meanings and interpretations. You don’t need to be all-knowing or all-powerful to be a good Oracle. You just need that heart which seeks.”

Yaevar wasn’t entirely sure how to react to that. But he knew time was running out. “There’s just so much more I want to ask you.”

Before he even finished his sentence, the final glimmer of light ebbed away from the pillar, leaving nothing but the gigantic crater that enveloped Artorius’ Throne. At the heart of that crater, a faint light shone. Without Yaevar noticing, the Oracle had already gotten up from her seat and began walking toward the diminishing sphere of light, each step echoing through the crevices of the domain. In her arms she held an iconic white cloak, which Yaevar knew on sight.

The light finally phased away, leaving the image of a young man with flawless new skin exposed to the elements, crouched in a kneeling position.

Draping the cloak over him, the Oracle smiled. “I’m so glad I can see you again,” she softly spoke. He stood up, being slightly taller than her. His brown hair was peppered with golden highlights. “I know you don’t remember anything about who you were, or even your name. I can’t even give you a True Name. I just wanted to be able to be the first to greet you into this new world; I know it’s selfish, but you’ve given me so much when you were alive. I just wanted to… to say ‘thank you’.” She went over this message more than a thousand times in her mind, but it just never seemed enough. Tears dropped from her eyes and created small puddles in the now-purified land. But this was enough. It had to be enough. “Good-bye,” she whispered, as light enveloped her body, as she slid away from reality, piece by piece. She did it. She was a woman, a princess, a soldier… and so much more.

“No!” Yaevar screamed, running after the two, reaching out for the Oracle’s hand. She’d broken the terms of her oath. In exchange for trading her mortality for never coming into contact with this individual, she ensured that she’d be able to see him once more before leaving this plane of existence. Did it really have to be so cruel? Did this world of oaths and pacts and tethering and the seen and the unseen have to make things so damn difficult? Just as his fingertips reached her shoulder, it was already too late.

She was gone.

There was no proof of her existence, other than the sight of her protégé and the cloak which she gave to the new seraph.

“Who was that?” The newborn seraph asked, looking at Yaevar.

Yaevar couldn’t bear to return his eye contact.

Looking down at his hands and the cloak that was now his, the seraph looked at the land, his feather earrings swaying with the breeze.

“I don’t understand the whole story, but… I am Yaevar, this generation’s Oracle,” Yaevar hesitantly bowed in respect to the Grand Shepherd who brought an end to the Age of Calamity. From the stories, he was nothing like the Shepherd who first brought about the Age of Calamity. “The world has been awaiting your awakening, sir. Would you like me to fill you in on what you’ve missed?”

With a smile, the seraph shook his head. “No, that’s fine.”

“Well, that’s understandable, since a lot has happened but-“ Yaevar began, then stopped. Blinked. What? “Wait, I don’t think you understand the situation!”

“I do,” He nodded. “I just figure, if the world is out there, I want to see it with my own eyes. I think that’s what she would have wanted. And rather than worrying about the past I can’t recall, I can instead focus on the future I can build myself.” Focusing, he decided to make this cloak his vessel, so he could carry it around with him wherever he went.

“The stories were true,” Yaevar sighed. “You all as a group are just crazy.” Well, there was no point in fighting it. “If you’re going to go exploring, you may as well head over to the Palamedes Temple.”

As he watched the Shepherd’s cloak flutter in the breeze as the seraph’s figure disappeared beyond the horizon, Yaevar took a seat on the boulder where the Oracle used to sit. He wondered what it was like to feel so passionate about something that he’d be willing to go through the lengths that this ragtag group of companions did for each other.  Even being willing to take on an oath to wait a thousand years to see someone, if only for a moment… perhaps one day, he might need to make that choice, too.

Looking up to the sky, he couldn’t help but smile. He would tell this story for generations to come, and pass it off onto his own protégé.


End file.
